MumbaiJul 9, 2025 13:16 IST
First published on: Jul 9, 2025 at 12:52 IST
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Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad finds himself in the middle of a controversy once again, this time for assaulting a canteen staffer at the Maharashtra Assembly over stale food.
After the incident, which happened on Tuesday night, sparked a furore, the two-time Buldhana MLA refused to express regret and said he would repeat his actions if needed. In the video, Gaikwad was seen punching and slapping the canteen worker.
A familiar figure in Maharashtra politics, Gaikwad has often been in the news for his aggressive persona, provocative speeches, and frequent run-ins with law enforcement agencies. In September 2024, the Sena leader sparked outrage after offering a Rs 11 lakh reward to anyone who would “chop off the tongue” of Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. He made the threat following Gandhi’s remarks on caste and reservation during a visit to the United States. An FIR was subsequently registered under multiple sections of the newly implemented Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.
Earlier last year, he had landed in legal trouble with the Forest Department after claiming in a video that he had hunted a tiger in 1987 and wore its tooth as a pendant. The Forest Department promptly seized the tooth and booked him under the Wildlife Protection Act.
This March, Gaikwad was seen in a viral video assaulting a group of men with a police baton. Rather than deny the incident, he defended it, saying the individuals were being “unruly”. Not long after, another video showed a policeman washing Gaikwad’s private vehicle, sparking outrage about the misuse of state machinery. The Sena MLA defended that, too, saying the cop had volunteered to wash the car after vomiting inside the vehicle.
In April, the Sena leader got into trouble with his party boss and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde after he described the Maharashtra Police as “the most inefficient department in the world”. At a public function, Gaikwad accused the force of underreporting seized cash: “If they catch Rs 50 lakh, they show only Rs 50,000,” he said.
The backlash was swift. Shinde is learnt to have phoned Gaikwad to express displeasure, while CM Devendra Fadnavis also publicly said such comments warranted strict action. Gaikwad later issued an apology.
Last week Gaikwad found himself in the middle of a row again over comments on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji Raje, He made the remarks while targeting rival Sena leaders. Amid a swift pushback, he apologised for his comments, calling himself a “true devotee” of Shivaji.
Not just his rivals, the voters in the Sena MLA’s constituency have also faced his ire. Criticising the lack of support in the Assembly elections last year — he scraped through by a razor-thin margin of 841 votes — the MLA said at an event in Buldhana in January, “You can’t cast a single vote for me. All they care about is liquor, mutton, and money. These people were bought for just Rs 2,000.” In a video of the speech that was widely circulated on social media, the MLA was seen using abusive words in Marathi. His remarks drew condemnation from parties across the political divide.